


Countdown to Love

by CrimsonBlueMoon (Navybluewings)



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Best Friends, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, M/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-23 05:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13183179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navybluewings/pseuds/CrimsonBlueMoon
Summary: When Craig moves into a new neighborhood, he meets Tyler, a boy his age who he instantly clicks with. Throughout the years, the boys celebrate everything together, but it’s one holiday that will forever change their lives. With love on the line, will Craig be able to figure out the truth behind his feelings for Tyler? Or will time run out for the both of them?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! Thank you to everyone who has been super supportive and reading my stories! I will be posting chapter three of Want You soon, but I said I was going to do a MiniCat story next, so here you guys go! 
> 
> Disclaimer: In this story, the boys are all the same age. Normally I don't do that, but for the plot, it was necessary. Sorry if this bothers you!

**9 Years Old**

Craig loved his house in England. It was small, sure, but he had learned to see the home as something to be treasured. He had a large backyard, and everything in the countryside had a beauty that couldn’t be felt in the city. Friends weren’t very close, so he had to get a ride any time he wanted to play football ( _real_ football, not the American kind) or have sleepovers. It wasn’t the most luxurious style of living, but Craig didn’t care. This was his home, and being there made him feel happy.

 

So when it was announced that they would be moving to America, it was expected for him to be a little upset. What nine-year-old would want to be uprooted in the middle of summer? He hated having to say goodbye to his friends and packing his whole life into flimsy cardboard boxes. Despite his frustration over the move, Craig did feel _some_ excitement. America felt like a different world to him, and he was intrigued to see how the people who were across the ocean lived. The state of Indiana was rural, and Craig found it pretty despite never hearing about it before. It had a hint of the country feeling to it, which helped settle some of his previous concerns when getting off the plane. He discovered that his new house was in a neighborhood with very nice families, who all came to introduce themselves within a week of the family moving in.

 

But one family, the Wines, had something that the others didn’t; a child his age. Tyler was not as friendly as his parents at first glance, a skeptical gaze and straight face quick to show itself when being introduced to Craig. Despite the semi-cold first impression, Craig was excited; he had never had a friend who was within walking distance from him. Moving in July meant plenty of time to play, and it didn’t take long for Tyler’s guard to drop with the British child. Within a week the two were leaving their houses at the crack of dawn to hang out, only coming home for quick lunches or to get their bathing suits for the lake. They would explore the woods by the neighborhood, building campsites that they swore they were going to sleep at (but after watching one too many horror movies, neither could “find” their campsite and ended up sleeping in Tyler’s backyard). Tyler also introduced Craig to Evan and Brian, two friends that he had from school, who quickly accepted Craig into their mischievous group.

 

Tyler and Craig’s parents got along, as well. Every Saturday, the families would come together for a bar-be-que, enjoying wine and sharing stories of their experiences while the kids played with sparklers and water balloons. They encouraged sleepovers throughout the summer months, switching off which house would host the group (because Evan and Brian were always welcome) of rambunctious boys. These became less frequent once school came, as Tyler already struggled to pay attention in class without being overtired. But if Craig’s parents were looking for their son, it only took a phone call across the street to discover the pair were currently grumbling about their homework in Tyler’s living room. 

 

As the weather got colder, it seemed the pair had become inseparable. The two shared a similar interest in sports, though they consistently argued about which type of football was better. School was not a positive subject for either boy, as they’d rather read comic books or play the newest game on Tyler’s Xbox. Even holidays were spent together, as Craig’s family had never experienced some of the American festivities first hand. Although Halloween was fun, and missing school for random holidays was a bonus, Thanksgiving had been Craig’s favorite. He and Tyler had gotten into a potato peeling contest that left the two with cuts on their fingers and no real winner. Seeing the grossed out face of his mother when Tyler’s father fill the turkey’s butt with soggy breadcrumbs (Tyler called if “stuffing”) was hilarious. And the food. The _food_. Craig was sure he had eaten his body weight, and despite feeling like he was going to pop while he and Tyler watched American football (“Stop calling it that, weirdo”), Craig couldn’t wait to do it again.

 

Christmas was basically the same as back home, though the British boy couldn’t understand why Tyler continued to claim that Santa lived in the north pole. Hadn’t he heard of Lapland before? And why was he drinking a nog made out of an egg? (Though, upon trying it himself, Craig realized that it was pretty good). It was the first year that Craig got his friends presents, and he convinced his mom to buy Tyler the video game both boys had been secretly wishing for since it released. The boys didn’t open presents together, but they did meet up later in the night to play in the snow. And it was there that their parents spoke about celebrating the new year together.

 

The party, which had people from all over the neighborhood, was amazing. Craig was feeding off the energy of the huge group of people in Tyler’s house, though the other boy grouched about the invasion of privacy. They had learned through trial and error that Tyler wasn’t the kind to enjoy large groups of people, preferring to be with people he genuinely liked. Craig was the opposite, loving the title “social butterfly”. But he made sure to keep near his friend throughout the party, the two eagerly checking the time while arguing over the best kind of Chinese food.

 

“Is this your first time watching the ball drop?” At Tyler’s question, Craig gave a nod, ripping off a piece of his crab rangoon before speaking.

 

“We didn’t really have a big tradition for the new year. Or, maybe we did. But I never got to stay up to see it.” Which was another reason Craig was so excited; he had never been able to stay up late enough to see the new year come in. Now, the two were sitting toward the back of the room, the adults hovering close to the big screen in Tyler’s living room. Though Craig wanted to be up close when it dropped, he knew that Tyler wouldn’t be comfortable with being in the middle of the crowd. Instead, the two were comfy on the loveseat, a styrofoam container of Chinese food sitting between them. Despite the backs of the adults facing them, the TV was mounted high enough for the pair to watch the counter drop under a minute. Grinning as he shoved the food into his mouth, Craig talked through his chewing. “Have you?”

 

“O-Of course!” The bravado from his friend made Craig roll his eyes. Tyler was a terrible liar, and it was obvious that the other kid hadn’t actually _witnessed_ the event first hand. Instead of calling his friend on the lie, he looked back to the TV, his eyes lighting up in excitement while he smacked his hand against Tyler’s shoulder.

 

“Look, look!” The timer reached the ten mark, and the group of adults in front of them started to count down with the TV. The boys were quick to jump into the fun, both sending side-glances to the other throughout the countdown. Craig’s spine was straight with excitement that chased any hint of sleepiness away, his smile wide when the final number appeared on the screen.

 

“One!” The synchronized shout from the room was followed by cheers, but the cries of ‘Happy New Years’ weren’t as lined up as the counting. That may have been because, to Craig’s surprise, a weird phenomenon happened. Without reason, everyone in the room started...kissing. He blinked once as the strange site, Craig’s face feeling hot as he quickly glanced over to Tyler. The other boy seemed just as flushed, and Craig hesitated before he spoke.

 

“Is this normal?”

 

“Uh-Oh. Yeah! You’re supposed to k-kiss after the ball drops. It’s supposed to give you good luck for the next year or something,” Tyler muttered, though the words made a feeling of worry swell in Craig’s stomach. It was a normal feeling for Craig whenever someone talked about superstition. His grandmother had always emphasized the importance of traditions, and the bad things that could happen if they weren’t followed. Nights he spent over his grandmother’s as a child were filled with horror stories of people who didn’t listen to old wise tales, and regretted it. He was cautious around black cats, and he always threw salt over his shoulder if he spilled it.

 

“What happens if you don’t? Do you get bad luck?”

 

“I mean, I guess.”

 

“Then we need to kiss.” Tyler’s head snapped back to Craig in obvious shock, but Craig didn’t hesitate to grab his friend’s arm with both hands, turning his body to face him. “I don’t want to get bad luck! We could get bad luck and _die_. Tyler, I don’t want to die!”

 

“W-Well neither do I!” It seemed that Craig’s statement had rattled the other boy, who had a sliver of panic in his face as he glanced back at the group kissing at the front of the room.

 

“Then kiss m-.” The hard bump of chapped lips against his hurt for a moment and Craig almost pulled away at the sensation. But the reminder of bad luck kept him stationary, allowing the taller boy to kiss him. It wasn’t long, a few boring seconds at best, before Tyler pulled away. A moment of silence fell between the two as they stared at each other, neither seeming sure of what to say. Finally, Craig glanced back to the group of adults, speaking quietly. “Do you think it worked?”

 

“I don’t know, idiot,” Huffed Tyler, Craig looking back to him when the boy snagged the last crab rangoon.

 

“Hey, that’s mine!” And just like that, the kiss was forgotten, the desire for food and chasing each other around the house leaving the life-changing moment in the past.

 

**12 Years Old**

 

After his mother clarified the _real_ purpose of kissing on New Year's Eve (“It brings you good luck in love for the next year. Why do you ask, Craig?”), Tyler and Craig felt relieved. They weren’t going to die! Being nine meant that love, for the moment, didn’t mean anything to them. As far as they were concerned, they would never want to be in love. Girls were still a weird concept, the ones in their class giving them valentines and giggling whenever they’d walk by. As far as they were concerned, girls just made it harder to play sports in gym class and never appreciated how far they could shoot a spitball (Tyler refused to admit that Craig’s went further).

 

This thought changed when they encroached their teenage years. Suddenly, the idea of having a hand to hold wasn’t a creepy thought. Craig noticed that girls weren’t _that_ bad, and some of them were actually sort of pretty. They were still different than him, and he preferred hanging out with Tyler over anyone else. But something changed. He liked when girls wore high ponytails, and he couldn’t help but notice which girls in the class had blue eyes. They were just really... _pretty_. Christmas gifts for classmates weren’t simply obligations; Craig wanted to get a special one for the girl who sat two rows in front of him for science.

 

So when Tyler and Craig found themselves at the traditional neighborhood party for New years, a question burned on his tongue.

 

“Do you think we should kiss again?” The question was spoken quietly, as Craig knew that they weren’t alone in the room. Their set up had a familiar feel to their first new years eve together, the two claiming the smaller couch in the back of the room. Their parents were older, and new people had been introduced to the party, but the feeling was still there. Craig couldn’t face Tyler while he asked the question, eyes trained on the new neighbors speaking with his parents.

 

“What the fuck?” the loud swear made Craig stiffen, instantly glaring over to Tyler and punching his shoulder. “Ouch! What was that for?”

 

“Don’t swear.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because the last time your parents heard you swear, they grounded you for the whole weekend.” Tyler huffed at the statement, but Craig knew he couldn’t refute it. While Tyler’s parents were aware the boys were getting older, they still had some rules they refused to bend on. Swearing was one of them, and Tyler had learned the hard way that there was no wiggle room on that. Even though Tyler was the one who had gotten grounded, it had affected Craig, as he was left with nothing to do for the weekend.

 

“Don’t you think I should be more concerned about you trying to kiss me?” Tyler asked, his grumpy frown losing some of its bite with the pink tint to his cheeks. Craig resisted the urge to tease his best friend, knowing that he needed his cooperation in order to fulfill his plan.

 

“It’s not that crazy when you think about it.”

 

“How is it _not_ the dumbest idea you’ve ever suggested? And don’t think I forgot about the time you used a permanent marker to draw a penis on Brian’s face while he was sleeping.” Craig felt himself grin at the memory, though it hadn’t been the reaction he had when he first discovered the marker wasn’t washable. Craig had been sure his friend would kill him (Brian had always claimed his uncle was a part of the Irish mob), and he probably would have cried if not for Evan. The more mature one of the group, the Asian boy suggested looking online for a remedy, and after some sneaky ninja moves to obtain rubbing alcohol from Tyler’s bathroom, the permanent marker was easily removed.

 

“Think about it; do you want another year of bad luck in love?” The question seemed to catch Tyler’s interest, and Craig knew that he had the other boy’s attention. Scooting closer to Tyler, Craig took a glance around to make sure nobody was listening before he continued. “I know that you’ve been crushing on that girl who plays goalie in our gym class.”

 

“I never said that.” But it was obvious from the lack of eye contact that Tyler was aware of how red his face was getting. Craig admired the scene for a second, noting how dark the blue of Tyler’s irises was when he blushed. The color was partially blocked when the taller boy glared at him, leaning slightly away while crossing his arms. “But even if I _did_ , what does that have to do with kissing you?”

 

“You know the rule; those who kiss on New Years Even get good luck with love. If you want any chance with her, then you’re going to need all the help you can get.” Because it was no secret that, despite his tough guy persona, Tyler wasn’t the smoothest at talking to the girls in their class. Leaning closer to Tyler, Craig pointing toward the TV, which showed that there were only a few minutes left until the ball would drop. “It’s not like it’s a big deal; we’ve already kissed before. Think of it as just like, how the french kiss each other in greeting. We’re just _greeting_ each other to the new year.”

 

“And what do you get out of this?” The question made Craig shrug, a skeptical look from Tyler proving he didn’t by the nonchalant answer. “You’ve got a crush on someone, don’t you?” 

 

“Yup.” It was easy for Craig to admit his feelings, as he had never seen a problem in being open with his emotions. His parents were always supportive of him expressing himself, and despite teasing from some of the kids at school, Craig enjoyed being in tune with himself. And he hoped, by being open with Tyler about his motive, it would help ease some of the weirdness he was sure his friend was feeling. “So let’s help each other out. It’s the perfect plan! What do you say?”

 

“...I’m not doing... _that_ in front of my parents.” Craig watched Tyler push off the couch, the other boy lifting one of his hands to his mouth to increase his volume. “Mom! Me and Craig are gonna watch the ball drop up in my room.”

 

“Alright, but don’t stay up too late afterward.”

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it!” Craig called back to the woman who he saw as his second mother. He knew the feelings were mutual from the older woman, who gave a smile and laugh at Craig’s response. The two quickly left the room to run up the stairs of the large house, the bustle of the party being muted by the door that Tyler shut behind them. Craig was familiar with the dark green walls of Tyler’s room, and if he closed his eyes, he could probably draw out the placement of every poster by heart. He didn’t hesitate to jump onto the large bed that sat in front of the TV that his best friend was turning on. It was no secret that Craig was jealous of the king size bed, and it was rare that he got to enjoy its comfort. Now, he pushed to the end of the mattress, letting his legs swing off the edge while watching the countdown flash the final minute of the year.

 

“How do you think they even get the ball up there?” Craig’s question was met with a grunt from Tyler, who didn’t hold back when dropping onto the bed next to him. Their eyes both stay focused on the screen, the silence in the room only being broken up by the host on the television. When the ball was halfway down the pole, the British boy finally looked over Tyler, hoping his humorous comment would diffuse the slight tension. “So do you think I should lead this time? Last time you almost gave me a bloody lip.”

 

“Hey, shut up. We were nine; it’s not like I knew what I was doing.”

 

“And you do now...how?” Craig laughed when Tyler reached behind them to snag a pillow and hit him with it, the taller boy pretending to smother him before tossing the fluffy object to the floor.

 

“Just let me handle it, bitch.” In the distance, Craig heard the reported start the countdown from ten, but the British boy kept his eyes focused on the stoic friend in front of him. Tyler’s shoulders were tense, like he was ready to bolt from the room. Feeling back for his friend, Craig hesitated to call the plan off. Sure, he would be doused with bad luck for the next year. But it would probably be worth it if Tyler was in the same boat. They could be miserable together, right?

 

Before the words could get out of his mouth, the sudden shout of ‘Happy New Years’ was heard from beneath them, being in sync with the woman now cheering on the screen. Then hands were on his shoulders, Tyler’s eyes closing the last thing on Craig’s mind before he was being kissed. The sensation had some of the same characteristics of the first kiss; like the fact that Tyler took terrible care of his lips. Chapped from exposure to the cold, they pressed against Craig’s with a boldness that Tyler hadn’t seemed to possess before. There was no pain this time around, which Craig was thankful for. Instead, they felt softer, like Tyler _had_ learned from their first time. Craig hummed as he closed his own eyes, wondering if he should put his hands somewhere other than his own lap. Was there really a need? Maybe if this was his crush, he’d grab her cheek or run his fingers through hair. But this seemed silly to do with Tyler. This wasn’t romantic; this was a business transaction. So instead he sat still, returning the kiss with the little amount of skill he had.

 

When the two parted, Craig didn’t hesitate to open his eyes and glance up at his friend. Their eyes met, neither seeming sure what to say afterward. It was Craig who broke the silence first with a grin and a tacky thumbs up.

 

“Good job, Tyler; I don’t think I’ll have a fat lip this time.”

 

“You are so fucking annoying.” The pillow returned to smother Craig, who grabbed a second pillow as his own weapon. Their night was soon cut short when Craig got shoved off the bed, smashing into the floor hard enough to make Tyler’s dad come up and investigate. Both boys were reprimanded for ‘roughhousing’ before they were ordered to go to bed, a request that Craig didn’t mind following. He was pretty tired and no sooner had his head hit his pillow, Craig had fallen asleep, hoping his luck for the new year would be bright.

 

**17 Years Old**

 

At age twelve, both boys had their first girlfriends. The relationships barely lasted a month, but it felt like a sign for the pair that their New Years kiss had worked. They had gotten girlfriends before Evan and Brian, after all! It was something they felt they could brag about, even if Evan ended up getting a girlfriend a week later. If Craig was being honest, he couldn’t remember who brought up the suggestion to kiss the following year, but neither had seemed opposed to trying out their luck again. The tradition of scurrying up to Tyler’s bedroom each time the countdown started became routine for the two. They were comfortable with each other, and so long as they could back their superstition with consistent good luck the next year, then neither one had a reason to change it.

 

But this year was different.

 

“This place is awesome! Brock, how did you manage to get the school to approve this place?” Craig’s appreciation for the newest member of their group was justified when talking about the venue that looked more like a mansion than a place to have a school event. The night had been filled with amazing music, lots of laughs, and memories that the teenager was sure he wasn’t going to forget for the rest of his life. Though it was the first time he wasn’t spending the holiday at Tyler’s house, the party was more than making up for it.

 

“Evan and I just explained the benefit of using our funding for a safe, non-alcoholic, party for the seniors. This was the only place that could hold all of us.” Brock was the treasurer of the class, having become friends with the group sophomore year. It wasn’t surprising to see that Evan had been nominated to be the president of the class, as he tended to have a leadership quality about him despite being on the modest side. Brock had similar attributes, making it easy for the pair to become friends.

 

“And because Brocky is the best thing since sliced bread, right?” But it was Brian who had really taken the quieter man under his wing. It was rare to see Brian without Brock, not that the friendly teen seemed to mind. Brock’s easy-going nature meant that people tended to take advantage of him. Brian made sure to change that expectation. If anyone tried to push Brock around, the Irish teen didn’t hesitate to step in and let them know the consequences. Brock never asked for this type of attention from his friend, but Craig had noticed the thankful look his quiet friend would send the hot-blooded man after an altercation.

 

“We could fit a fucking circus in here and still have room.” Tyler’s mouth had only worsened since they were young, though he had learned to keep it clean around his parents. It was more respect than fear, as Tyler had a positive relationship with both of his parents. Craig glanced around the room, amazed at the number of people who had come to the party.

 

“It really looks like the whole class ended up coming.”

 

“Pretty much. I think everyone bought a ticket.” Evan’s casual reply seemed distracted, and Craig sent a curious gaze over to him. The man’s arm was around his date’s waist, the pretty girl seeming more than happy to be with the class president. Evan had started dating Sydney, the leader of the theatre department, in May, and the two had been nominated ‘cutest couple’ for their senior superlatives. Craig congratulated the pair for their win, but the British man noticed that his long-time friend hadn’t been as excited about the win as his girlfriend. Though Evan was hard to rile up by nature, Craig had another theory about why the win wasn’t important to the native Canadian. “Hey, have you guys seen Delirious? I lost track of him.”

 

Jonathan (or Delirious, as most of the school knew him as) had been another addition to their group of friends. Freshman year had been an intimidating time for the group of four, who weren’t used to being on the low rung of the totem pole. Tyler lucked out, as his huge growth spurt made him look more like a junior than a freshman. The other three took some more time to get comfortable in their skin, but for Evan, his path became much easier once bumping into Jonathan. The quirky teen didn’t seem bothered by being a freshman and refused to let anyone push him around because of it. It helped that he had Luke on his side, as the man’s physique made it hard for many to challenge him. The rumors about the duo started to circulate the school, and questions about their involvement with gangs (“I heard “Delirious” and “Cartoonz” are their gang names”) or the juvenile system (“Delirious stabbed a guy once, I have a friend whose uncle saw him do it!”) made other people scared of them.

 

But Evan, being the type to never simply listen to a rumor, found out the truth; both were total _dorks_. Jonathan’s teddy bear collection and Luke’s insane knowledge of anime took most of the wind out of the rumor sails. Craig couldn’t believe his eyes when seeing the “tough guy Delirious” crumble after Evan presented him with a giant teddy bear for Christmas. The man looked ready to cry! Luke joined the anime club, which threw all of his street credit out the window (though he was still too jacked to make fun of). By sophomore year, the names which had once been associated with a terrible past were simply nicknames for the two goofy men. Between Cartoonz’s fast-spitting jokes and Delirious’s insanely infectious laughter, most of the school couldn’t keep from smiling whenever the duo was near. Even the teachers couldn’t stop themselves from laughing when the two started to ‘argue’ in class. It was no wonder that they won ‘class clowns’.

 

“I think he just went with Luke to the photo booth; they wanted to try it out while everyone else was distracted by the ball dropping.” Brock’s explanation made Evan scowl, though Craig seemed to be the only one who picked up on the action.

 

“You think he’s really planning to not kiss anyone?” Brian’s question was met with a roll of the eyes from Tyler, who snorted loud enough to be heard over the music.

 

“Knowing that idiot, yes. Ever since he got his fortune read by that wacky psychic, he won’t even entertain the idea until he finds his ‘soulmate’.” Their sophomore year, the group had decided to go to a psychic during their winter break. Though most of the group took the trip as a joke, Jonathan’s reading was eerily specific, and it crept the teen out too much to ignore. So when the woman explained his soulmate would kiss him on New Year's Eve, Delirious swore off the practice completely. It seemed silly to most, but Craig admired the man for sticking to his guns.

 

“Hey, don’t mock Lady Maybell. She said I’d end up rich and famous.” Craig’s defense of the woman had Brock laughing, Tyler rolling his eyes before shoving his best friend.

 

“Case and point.”

 

“Well, what about you four? Who are you guys planning on kissing when the ball drops? I’ve already got my man.” Sydney leaned into Evan’s side as she glanced at the group, and for the first time all night, Craig felt some of his spirits dwindle. He tried not to look at Tyler, the taller teen falling eerily silent while Brock gave a nervous laugh.

 

“I think I’m going to sit this one out. I mean, I don’t really think anyone’s seeking me out for _that_ particular activity.”

 

“Aw don’t say that.” Brian’s squeeze of Brock’s shoulder didn’t seem to change the man’s mind, so the Irish man gave a dramatic sigh before lifting Brock’s face to look up at him. “Especially because it’s not true; in fact, you’re number one on my list to kiss tonight.”

 

“W-What?” Brock’s stunned face didn’t seem to bother Brian, Evan and Craig both blinking at the statement.

 

“Huh.” The small word from Evan didn’t hold disdain or confusion, but a sense of awe. Like he hadn’t thought the option was _possible_. Before Craig could question his friend about the reply, Tyler quickly jumped into the conversation.

 

“What the fuck, Brian? Are you gay?” The question made something shift in Craig’s stomach, but he couldn’t place what the exact feeling was. He tried not to let his confusion show on his face as he waited for Brian to answer.

 

“Not exactly. I’m pretty sure bi-sexual would be the correct term.” A casual shrug of the teen’s shoulders showed he didn’t mind the accusation, Brian’s bright smile proving there was no joke in his words. “Is it a crime that I like girls _and_ guys?”

 

“Obviously not,” Tyler snapped out, though his angry tone of voice didn’t match his words. “I don’t give a fuck if you like dick or vagina, but give us some warning before you try to stick it in Brock.”

 

“Jesus, Tyler,” Brock mumbled, his face turning bright red at the crude language of their friend. Brian didn’t seem affected by the terminology, though coming from Europe himself, Craig knew the crudeness of the Irish in common conversations. 

 

“Why, you interested in me? I am pretty hot.” Brian’s wink made Tyler’s nose scrunch in annoyance, punching the Irish man hard in the arm. The two continued their banter, Evan rolling his eyes as he stepped in to monitor the argument. But Craig’s focus was on someone else. A side glance to Brock showed that the other man was still blushing over the offer, and Craig quietly tugged on his sleeve to get him to look over.

 

“Are you gonna do it?” He wasn’t sure why he was speaking so quietly, but he just couldn’t get his voice to reach its normal volume. The brown gaze of his friend didn’t hide the man’s hesitation, Brock barely taking a quick moment to look over at Brian before down to the floor in front of him. Despite the shrug Brock gave, Craig saw his lips tilt into a smile.

 

“I’d rather kiss Brian than some girl I don’t have feelings for. I’m... _comfortable_ with Brian.”

 

“Does that mean you-”

 

“I-I’m not ready to think about that yet.” Brock’s quick cut off made Craig nod, not wanting to make the gentle friend uncomfortable. Craig peeked his head up and glanced around the area noticing the time.

 

“The ball’s dropping.” The statement distracted Brian mid-sentence, the Irish man quick to glance over to Brock and give him a side smile.

 

“You ready to go, Brock-star?” The man in question laughed at the ridiculous name, allowing Brian to snag his arm and pull him deeper into the crowd. Craig quickly lost sight of them from the flashing lights and the swarm of teens now rushing to watch the projected image of New York City against the wall.

 

“Come on, Evan! We’re going to miss it!” Sydney's excitement was coming off of her in waves as she waited for Evan to join her, the man in question giving one final look at the photo booth set up on the back wall. Craig knew who he was looking for, though he had yet to get his answer as to why that was who Evan was concerned over. Then Evan was gone, leaving Tyler and Craig on the deserted dancefloor.

 

“Irish prick,” Tyler muttered, Craig’s spine straightening when the man stepped closer to him. “Sometimes I just want to drown Brian.”

 

“He does it because he loves you.”

 

“Don’t spew that mushy feeling shit at me.” Tyler’s response made Craig roll his eyes, the man fixing his glasses before he sent a glance at the countdown.

 

“I think I saw that red-head you were talking to earlier heading to the front of the crowd.” The words, which sounded light when coming from his mouth, felt like lead on his tongue. It was a strange phenomenon, as he knew the years of their ‘tradition’ had been for this very reason.

 

“Really?” Craig gave a hesitant nod, Tyler letting out a slow breath while running his hand through his hair. It was a defeated sign that Craig knew well, and he tried to ignore the weirdly excited twinge that hit his chest. “Well, fuck that. I ain’t battling through that mob to try and get to her. I don’t even remember her name.”

 

“Then be ready to fail in love again this year,” Craig teased, not expecting the bright blue eyes of the taller man to turn to him.

 

“You’re right here, aren’t you?”

 

“Didn’t you just give Brian shit about kissing another guy?” For the first time in his life, Craig understood why some people tried to keep their emotions under wraps. The urge to smile was pressing against his lips, but he forced his lips to stay straight as he gave a skeptical look to Tyler’s scowl. “Last time I checked, I have a penis. A nice one, 9.3 outta 10 if I had to rate it, but still a penis.”

 

“Will you shut up? _Obviously_ , our situation is different.” He wanted to press the topic more. He had so many questions and no answers. Craig’s mind asked _what_ was so different, why Craig wasn’t feeling as different as maybe he should have, but his voice was overshadowed by the countdown. His eyes were fixated on the taller teen, his breathing frozen when Tyler stepped into his personal space. He wondered if Tyler had any of the same questions. But when his hip was gripped and the cheer of the new year echoed in the air, Craig knew he wasn’t going to get any answers. Instinctively, the British man closed his eyes, preparing himself for the sensation of Tyler’s lips on his own.

 

But this kiss felt different. The slow way that Tyler lined their mouths together was thought out instead of mindless. The softness of the lips covering Craig’s didn’t feel scaly or dry, but warm. Really warm. In a weird way that made his toes threaten to curl in his shoes. Craig’s head was gradually led to raise, tilting up to press the seams of their lips closer together. It was the first time that Craig had truly noticed just how much taller his best friend was. Hands, which normally stayed in his lap or by his side, twitched to reach up and grasp onto something. Like Tyler’s hoodie, or his neck, or his face...whatever would best keep him grounded. Because for the first time, Craig’s head was floating. Mind fuzzy with a hazy confusion, Craig didn’t fight against the gentle persuasion that parted his lips, a step the two had never thought to take before. The taste of strawberry lemonade reminded the British teen of the drink Tyler had won for his dance-off against Evan earlier in the night. But Tyler’s mouth tasted sweeter than the sip he had snuck from his friend’s bottle, and Craig’s stomach cramped with the weird desire to taste more of it.

 

Except a painful pressure on his hip made Craig jerk away from the kiss, his mouth releasing a hiss as his hand grasped Tyler’s wrist.

 

“Ouch!” His breath was uneven as he glanced down at the fingers on his waist, which were quick to release at the shout of discomfort. It didn’t take a doctor to assume he’d had a bruise in the morning from how tightly Tyler had grabbed him. Once released from the grip, Craig turned his attention back to Tyler, using the back of his free hand to wipe his mouth while he spoke. “Were you trying to break me in half or something? I’m a delicate flower, you monster.”

 

“I didn’t-” Tyler’s statement cut off as soon as it started, and Craig blinked at the serious stare he received. Tyler’s mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out, his friend huffing before shaking the brit’s grip off his wrist. “Stop being a pussy. It wasn’t even that hard.”

 

“Maybe for you and your sasquatch bones!” Craig’s reply was met with a middle finger from Tyler, who then turned his back on his friend.

 

“Let’s...go find the others; I’d rather try to leave before we get stuck in crazy traffic from this mess of an event.”

 

“Can we stop at McDonald’s on the way home? I’m going to die if I don’t eat something.”

 

“You ate before you got here, fatty.” Yet the words lacked the bite that normally came from Tyler’s insults, his attention seeming pulled in another direction.

 

“That was hours ago. I’m gonna _disintegrate_ , Tyler, and it’ll be all your fault!” Craig dramatically leaned against his friend while he spoke, not hesitating to jump up and onto the taller man’s back when realizing he was distracted.

 

“What the literal fuck, Craig?” He laughed at his friend’s stumble, securing his arms around Tyler’s neck before dropping his head onto the teen’s shoulder.

 

“Happy new years.”

 

“Whatever.” The grumpy response was followed by Tyler gripping the bottom of Craig’s thighs, securing the smaller man before walking toward the crowd. The fact that his impolite friend didn’t drop him made Craig smile, and for a moment, he could ignore the weird feeling still buzzing in his stomach. Everything still felt normal between the two of them, and for now, that was all he wanted to focus on.

 

But he would be lying if his lips still didn’t buzz with the longing for something more.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2018! I hope that this year will be bright and give you lots of luck! Please enjoy the final half of this story ^.^

**18 Years Old**

College changed a lot of things for Craig. For one, he hated life now. School hadn’t been his thing since he was little, and it didn’t seem like things were going to change in college. Despite the lack of interest in his courses, the British man did enjoy the freedom that came with living away from home. The drive back to his old neighborhood was only a half hour, but having the distance from his parents made him feel more like an adult. If he wanted to leave dishes in his apartment sink, he could, and the only person who would see it would be his new roommate. Ryan (or Ohmwrecker, as the introverted man preferred to be called by his gamertag) was really nice, and Craig sometimes felt that the two of them shouldn’t get along as well as they did. While Craig enjoyed the limelight and going out to large parties with Brian or Luke, Ohm tended to stay home to read a book or actually get his homework done. But on the nights that Craig did stay home, he had just as much fun raging in Mario Kart with his roommate than any crazy keg party. 

 

For most of his friends, Craig getting an apartment with anyone _but_ Tyler was a plot twist they weren’t expecting. But for Craig, it was an expected hurt. Their friendship had struggled in the second half of their Senior year. When Craig would ask the other to hang out or spend the night at his house, Tyler would always find a reason to avoid it. Being as bad at lying as ever, Craig knew the taller man was making up excuses to not be around the shorter man. Prom had been the exception, as Evan had convinced the boys to pitch in for a limo to share for the night. The night had felt like old times, Craig laughing with Tyler as Delirious dramatically asked Luke to dance with him (and if there had been a hint of a frown on Evan’s face during the exchange, Craig didn’t mention it). It had been a blast from the past, and Craig didn’t realize how much he missed simply hanging out with his best friend until then.

 

If Craig had to pick a moment that changed everything for the two, it was when Tyler got a girlfriend. It wasn’t the first time that one of them had been in a relationship, but this one had felt different. The summer that followed Senior year, Tyler was all but non-existent. He was either spending time with his girlfriend or getting ready to pack up for college. The few times he had met Tyler’s girlfriend, Craig thought she was nice. She had a good sense of humor and didn’t take much of Tyler’s sarcastic comments to heart. And from how happy she had looked when being introduced to Craig, the British man thought that the woman had felt the same about him. But as the weeks got closer to college, Craig barely saw his neighbor, who had opted to room with Evan (after the man found out Luke and Jonathan had bought an apartment together) in the college dorms to save some money. 

 

Brock and Brian had lasted two months under the same roof before Craig walked in on them in a... _compromising_ position. Brock apologized while Brian laughed, not bothering to cover what the good lord above gave him when announcing the two were officially dating. It surprised nobody, as the two had been dancing around the feelings they had for one another for close to a year. Craig made sure to congratulate the two, promising that his opinion of the two hadn’t wavered. It was a similar reaction around the group, and nothing really changed in the dynamic. Well, other than Tyler and Craig, but the British man didn’t want to think about that. 

 

Especially on New Years Eve. 

 

“Have you ever just watched someone move or talk or _laugh_ and you’re like...how the fuck is everything they do so hot?” Evan’s question made Craig blink, sure that the man wouldn’t have made the comment without the liquid currently flooding his system. The two were hanging out in the game room of Craig’s apartment, the man deciding to host the first college New Years party for the group. The event was a hit, with tons of friends filling the small space with laughs and chatter. But his pride of the accomplishment had instantly turned to regret an hour ago when opening his door to see Tyler and his girlfriend. Since showing them around the place, a bottle of beer had been sealed to his lips. Evan didn’t seem any better, letting Brian make his drinks with little care of the actual alcohol content. And Brian was quite proud of his Irish heritage, hence the drunken man sitting next to Craig.

 

“Uh...Scarlett Johansson comes to mind.” But Evan’s brown eyes were cast across the apartment, and Craig didn’t need to look to see who had stolen his friend’s attention. Even when he was drunk, the Canadian was always looking at Delirious. The man with the infectious laugh was slapping hands with his beer pong partner, Luke, the bearded smirking as Ryan and Marcel (who lived with Scotty on the floor below) took a swig of their drinks. If Craig was in a better frame of mind, he could help diffuse his friend’s worries over Cartoonz and Delirious. Their brotherly love was obvious, but Jonathan didn’t gain the same look of happiness seeing Luke as he did when Evan walked into the room. The blue-eyed clown always seemed to push his jokes more when around Evan, as if to impress the man who was already head over heels for him. It was obvious who Delirious wanted his ‘soulmate’ to be. 

 

But the question that the drunk man asked made Craig’s heart ache. His glasses hid the small glance he gave to Tyler, who had his lap filled with his girlfriend. Why the scene made his stomach hurt so much, Craig wasn’t sure, but it made him take a swift swig of the beer in his hand. The fuzzy beverage didn’t settle much, but it helped him pretend to laugh at the strange scene of Scotty trying to convince Ohm to take a shot from his mouth. Marcel was already yelling at the meme master for distracting his partner, while Ohm’s face flushed from the booze and the attention. Ryan continued to giggle and push his friend away with less force than Craig knew he could. Despite being a homebody, Ryan kept fit, going to the gym at night when he was sure there’d be a smaller crowd. Still, he played along with Scotty until Kelly ran by and snagged the shot glass from Scotty’s hand. 

 

“Got it!” Her squeal when the man chased after her was cute, and Craig felt his hand clenched his beer tighter as he watched her blend into their group. She really _did_ fit in well, which made the British man feel terrible for wishing she’d trip and pour the alcohol over herself. Maybe then she’d have to go home, and she wouldn’t kiss-

 

“Fuck.” Knowing he was too sober to blame the thought on the beer in his hand for the thought, Craig pressed the bottle to the side of his flushed face and closed his eyes. “ _Fuck_.” 

 

“For the record,” Evan started, making the British man peek his eye open to look at the man slumped against the sofa. “I called this freshman year.” 

 

“What are you talking about?” The question was met with a silent stare from the Canadian before his friend made a show of directing his gaze to Tyler. Craig’s spine tensed at the implication, but it soon gave way when realizing it was pointless to deny it. Evan, despite his obliviousness in his own life, was always the astute one in the group. Too miserable and needy for an ally, Craig gave a weak groan and leaned his shoulder against Evan’s. “How’d you figure it out?”

 

“Well, you two were always way closer than anyone else in the group. You spent like, every day together. And even if you weren’t together, if I asked one of you where the other one was, you’d always know.” A pause was given while Evan sucked down the rest of his drink, tossing the empty red cup onto the table covered in snacks and booze in front of him. “And then there was the whole watching you two kiss at the party last year.” 

 

“You saw that? How?” He was more surprised than embarrassed about the discovery, positive that Evan should have been preoccupied with his own date. 

 

“You never wondered why me and Sydney broke up?”

 

“Because you’re head over heels in love with Delirious?” The question made Evan flush, though it was hard for Craig to see the difference between the red that covered his face from his drunken state. “I mean, you aren’t exactly subtle about it. You’ve been watching him all night.” 

 

“Yeah, well I guess I made it even _less_ subtle when the first thing I said after kissing her was his name. She broke up with me about five seconds before I turned around and saw you and Tyler kissing like it was a normal thing. And you looked like you actually liked it.” The truth of Evan’s words made Craig flick his thumb over the edge of his bottle, giving a casual shrug before letting the truth slip from his lips. 

 

“We...may have done it before.” Then, realizing how vague his answer was, Craig clarified. “Like every year. Since we were twelve.” 

 

“Huh.” There was no judgment, Evan being the amazing friend that Craig always knew he was. Instead, the man took hold of Craig’s beer, taking a drink before handing back to his friend. “What’s it like?” 

 

“Kissing Tyler?” 

 

“Kissing the guy you’re probably in love with.” The wording of the statement was a sour reminder of both of their situations, and Craig tried to wash the bitterness away with his final swig of beer. 

 

“Don’t really know; just realized it. And I doubt I’ll get the chance to kiss him again.” As if to prove the point, Tyler grabbed Kelly over his shoulder, smirking while the girl started to pound on his back to release her. Their loud commotion was soon overcast by Brian’s shout.

 

“Shut up, you tall fock! The countdown is starting!” His hand steady on Brock’s hip, the Irish man pointed to the dinky TV that was set up in the living room. From an outside point of view, it was almost comical to see the party move like a herd of zebra to see the TV, though neither man on the couch moved from the game room. The only people left in their company were the four playing beer pong, though it seemed the game was starting to lose interest in comparison to the ball dropping. 

 

“Delirious, you going to kiss someone this year?” Luke’s teasing comment caught Craig’s interest, and he watched his high school friend blush before punching his roommate’s arm. 

 

“Shut up, Luke!” 

 

“Why don’t you make me, Jonny boy?” It was obvious that Cartoonz was joking when he puckered his lips at Delirious, who laughed when running away from his friend.

 

“Get the fuck away from me!” 

 

“Give me a kiss!” Ohm was laughing at the antics of the two men, flicking some of the water from the beer pong cup at them when passing. The action seemed to attract Cartoonz’s attention to go after the introverted man. 

 

“Does Ohm want a kiss, too?”

 

“Leave me alone, Toonzy!” Ryan shouted, his smile and laugh contradicting the blush on his face. They disappeared into the other room, where Craig could hear the countdown starting from thirty. His gaze automatically tried to find the tall man in the crowd. Why he was looking for Tyler, he wasn’t sure, but the painful thump in his chest when seeing Kelly snuggled under his friend’s arm was enough to prove it was a bad idea. 

 

“I don’t want to be here.” His words were shaky, and he wondered if Evan could see the hint of tears prickling at the edge of his eyes. 

 

“Alright then.” His arm was snatched by his friend, Craig yelping when Evan quickly pulled both of them to their feet. “Then let’s go sledding!” 

 

“Where did _that_ come from?” 

 

“I saw some sleds in the back on the way up. Probably belong to the kids on the first floor.” Their pause in conversation gave time for the crowd in the other room to shout ‘fifteen’, and Craig felt a weird swell of panic hitting into his chest. “So are we going?”

 

“...Yeah.” A smile rose to his face at the idea of blowing off the party. It felt like a metaphorical ‘fuck you’ to Tyler, his feelings, and the cruelty of his world. Laughing as he snagged his jacket off the back of the couch, Craig raised his free hand into the air. “Show me the ways of your Canadian brethren!” 

 

“Racist!” But Evan laughed at the joke, the two men sprinting toward the apartment door. Their feet were loud as they clambered down the stairs and to the backyard. Craig tried to pretend he didn’t hear the shout of ‘Happy New Years’ when he jumped onto the bright orange sled, his yell loud when flying down the hill in the backyard. That the water in his eyes weren’t from sadness, but from the biting cold of the midnight air. It was hard to breath because of how fast he was running back up the hill, and not from the thought of his friend kissing someone else. 

 

For one night, Craig pretended he hadn’t realized he was in love with Tyler, a man who would never love him back.

 

**19 Years Old**

 

Craig makes sure to be as far away as possible from home on New Year’s Eve, backpacking through Ireland with Evan, Brian, and Brock. When the two lovebirds kissed at the stroke of midnight, Craig was reminded by Evan that it was only 7 pm in Indiana. And for some reason, the thought eased Craig’s anxiety. 

**20 Years Old**

 

“This has got to be a joke.” Craig’s statement was met with a roll of brown eyes and a crumpled ball of paper thrown at his forehead. 

 

“Focus on our project, Craig.” Evan’s stern voice was comical at best, and the British man tries not to grin when realizing his friend was trying to be serious. The two men had covered the floor of Craig’s apartment with papers that Craig should have read two weeks ago if he planned on getting a passing grade in his winter class. Now it was eight minutes until midnight on New Year’s Eve, and Craig could barely keep track of which side of the Civil war he was writing for. 

 

“This is a joke; a kid from Britain and an Asian from Canada writing about the American Civil war. I swear this teacher has an Irish sense of humor.” 

 

“It’s an American history class; what did you expect?” 

 

“To not be writing a damn paper on New Year’s Eve!” Evan ignored Craig’s complaint to lean over to the laptop currently playing music, skipping the grungy song Spotify was playing. 

 

“Would you rather be at Luke’s party?” The question had more underlying implication than Craig wanted to entertain, his eyes watching the frowning man search through their choices of music. 

 

It had been a week ago that both men had been asked to come by Cartoonz and Delirious’s new apartment for the New Year’s Eve party. Craig knew that Tyler would be there, which became even more important when remembering that his old neighbor would be single this year. Technically, Tyler had been single since the year before, as him and Kelly had broken up sometime during Craig’s trip to Ireland. It hadn’t been messy, though, and at times Kelly still talked to Tyler. Or so Evan said, as conversation between him and Tyler was rare and only happened when the group was hanging out as a whole. 

 

There was always an unresolved tension between them, and Craig took most of that blame. At first, he didn’t know to interact with his friend anymore. Being in love with someone changed things, especially when they were in a relationship with someone else. So the British man did everything he could to avoid alone time with Tyler. And then, after Tyler and Kelly broke up, Craig didn’t know how to approach his old neighbor. How did he casually just come back into Tyler’s life? Saying ‘hey, let’s hang out now that you’re single again’ didn’t scream casual friendship. Which was why he was happy with the homework excuse he’d be able to give for not going to the party the next day.

 

Evan’s reason for not going, however, was just sad. 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” He had presented the question to his friend multiple times throughout the night, silently praying that Evan’s normally perceptive mind would pick up on Craig’s hint. 

 

“I’m not going to sit there and watch Delirious kiss Luke.” And just like every time before, Evan gave the same response. Sighing, Craig tossed his history book to the side, turning to face his friend still scrolling through their music choices.

 

“Why do you think it’s Luke he plans to kiss tonight?” 

 

“You heard Cartoonz at lunch yesterday.” The event that Evan spoke about would have been hard to forget. In-between Brian stealing fries off Craig’s plate and Marcel glaring at Scotty’s reading of horrible memes on his phone, Jonathan asked if everyone was going to the party. When each person gave their not-so-friendly versions of ‘yes’, Delirious laughed before dropping a bomb on the table. 

 

_“Good. Because I-I’m going to-to-to kiss my soulmate!”_

 

The sentence was something that Craig had been sure he would never hear. Evan seemed to choke on the burger he was chewing, Brock lending a supportive smack to his back to keep the man breathing. The only one who didn’t seem surprised by Jonathan’s statement was Luke, who snickered before dropping his elbow to rest on his flustered friend’s shoulder. 

 

_“About damn time, I was getting tired of keeping it a secret.”_

 

It was that night when Craig and Evan had planned to originally do their project, that the Canadian admitted he couldn’t go to the party. Instead of doing their work, the two spent the night debating the pros and cons of going to the party, with Evan’s ultimate decision not changing. Craig, remembering how Evan had supported him two years before, didn’t hesitate to offer to stay back and work on their project together. And if that meant he could avoid seeing Tyler for another New Years, then it was just an added bonus. 

 

“I doubt Luke was talking about himself.” From the semi-flirty texts that Cartoonz kept sending his shy roommate, Craig sure as hell hoped not. But he couldn’t give Evan that information, as he himself wasn’t supposed to know about it. But really, if Ohm left his phone open while he took a shower, was it really Craig’s fault for reading them? 

 

“It doesn’t matter who it is; I know who it _isn’t_.” Craig tried not to let his sympathy for his friend show when Evan stared quietly at the screen, finally pushing up onto his feet and stretching his arms over his head. “Allllright, I’m gonna use the bathroom and then we can finish this thing up.” 

 

“Do you want me to turn the TV on? The ball’s about to drop.” 

 

“Works for me.” Craig gave a wave to Evan before looking around for the remote, huffing when realizing it had been buried under their notes. Crawling around the floor, Craig stuck his head under the end table, hoping the remote had simply slipped off the edge of the couch. A sudden ringtone made him jerk his head up, the British man swearing as he smacked his head into the underside of the coffee table. Rubbing the back of his head, Craig didn’t bother to look at the caller ID as he answered the phone call. “Hello?” 

 

“Craig.” A timber voice he hadn’t thought he’d hear that night made Craig’s stomach quiver, his eyes widening behind his glasses. Yanking the phone back to double check the ID, his breath caught when seeing Tyler’s name flash across his screen. It took him hearing his name shouted again for the man to pull the phone back to his ear, trying to keep his shaky voice from showing.

 

“T-Tyler? What are you doing-”

 

“Are you with Evan?” The vibration in Tyler’s voice made him sound like he was running, and Craig noticed that he could hear the crackling of wind in the phone’s receiver. 

 

“Uh, yeah, we’re working on some homework at my house. Are you outside?” 

 

“No shit, Sherlock. Why doesn’t that prick have his phone on?!” The anger in Tyler’s tone made Craig’s irritation rise, making sure his voice was sickeningly sweet when he responded. 

 

“Would you like me to give him a message before I hang up on you, sir?” 

 

“Funny, Craig, I’m _dying_ from laughter.”

 

“You know, you used to like my humor.” 

 

“Can we fight about your shitty jokes later? I need you to-” The loud beep of a car in the distance seemed to pull Tyler’s concentration from his phone, and Craig could hear him screaming at someone before swearing and coming back to the phone. “Why the fuck does nobody know what a crosswalk is in this city?”

 

“Blame your country’s RMV. Horrible, horrible place.” Craig’s eyes finally located the remote from before, sitting back to turn on the TV while sandwiching his phone between his ear and shoulder. “Can I go now? The ball’s about to drop, so you should probably get inside.”

 

“I need you and Evan to come outside.”

 

“Right now? It’s almost midnight and it’s cold.” 

 

“I’m telling you-Delirious, don’t just run _through_ the intersection like a fucking moron! You’re gonna get killed!”

 

“You’re with Jonathan?” Craig blinked at the news, surprised at the weird duo. Though everyone was friendly with each other, it was rare to see Delirious and Tyler hanging out. They simply had different types of personalities, and their hobbies didn’t always match up. But now aware of the other man, Craig could hear the distinct voice yelling back at Tyler. Why were they in the middle of the street?

 

“Just get outside!” And then the phone call ended, Craig blinking while he stared down at the cell phone. 

 

“I didn’t miss it, right?” He glanced up at the TV, seeing that the ball had just been dropped when Evan returned to the room.

 

“Uh.” moving his eyes between the phone, the TV, and Evan, Craig hesitated for only a moment before he jumped to his feet. “We need to go outside.” 

 

“Why?” 

 

“I don’t really know?” The skeptical look from Evan made Craig flail his arms around before snatching his jacket, running over to put his shoes on. “I just got a call from Tyler, and he said to go outside.” 

 

“Is he drunk?” 

 

“He didn’t sound it.” The answer seemed to satisfy Evan, the two men quick to pop out of the apartment. Catching that the timer on the ball had just reached ‘30’, Craig prepared himself for the cold while shutting the door behind him. The street was quiet around them, Craig glancing around and scowling when Evan shivered and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “Do we know what we’re waiting for?”

 

“Not really; the whole conversation was sort of rushed,” Craig replied, wondering if the call had just been a prank. Tyler hadn’t been the type to pull a joke if he couldn’t see the results himself, which made him side closer to the request having a real purpose. For some reason, he wanted to believe in Tyler. Above them, Craig could hear the muted ‘20’ countdown from somewhere near Craig’s apartment, the number dwindling to ‘9’ before a sudden shout shattered the quiet air of the street.

 

“Evan!” Delirious nearly slipped on the sidewalk as he skidded into sight, the man stumbling over his own feet as the Canadian’s eyes widened in shock. Craig caught sight of another figure jogging after Jonathan, but Evan’s full concentration focused on the flush face of their friend rushing toward him.

 

“Delirious?! What are you-” 

 

“No time, three seconds. Do it now, dumbass!” Tyler’s sharp voice snapped the conversation short, Delirious seeming to understand the statement that left Craig in the dark. 

 

“R-Right!” And then the man was on the move again, his hands snagging Evan’s jacket to lift himself up and kiss the stunned man in front of him. The force and lack of preparation made Even stumble back into the snow next to the sidewalk, Jonathan following with no hesitation. The movement seemed to yank Evan out of his shock, the Canadian slow to lift his now wet hands to grasp the back of the other’s jacket. The kiss was returned with a vengeance, Evan taking the opportunity to pour his repressed feelings into the awaiting mouth of Delirious. Craig couldn’t feel the cold as he watched his friends kiss in the snow, his grin wide and his hands coming together to clap. 

 

“Whoo Hoo! Fuck yeah!” His cheers echoed in the air, but Craig couldn’t find it in himself to care. His friends had finally, _finally_ , hooked up, and he didn’t give a damn if the Queen of England ordered him to stop. Evan deserved this just as much as Jonathan and Craig could feel the love between the two when they pulled away from the kiss with synchronized laughter. Jonathan’s forehead was pressed close to Evan’s as he muttered something Craig couldn’t hear, but from the look of awe on Evan’s face, it had to be good. Deciding to give them their moment, the British man took a few steps back, letting out a quiet sigh. 

 

“Fucking….finally.” The breathless voice behind him made Craig jump, forgetting about the fourth person who inhabited the deserted street. Tyler’s hands were on his knees, his cough loud before he pushed back up to stand. “I was literally going to murder someone if we didn’t get here in time.” 

 

“Did you guys _run_ here?” When Tyler nodded, Craig nearly fell over in shock. “Delirious lives two miles away! It’s like, four degrees outside. What the hell were you thinking?”

 

“Don’t blame me; fuckface just decided to bolt out of his own party when Ohm told him that you and Evan weren’t coming. When he realized he couldn’t get a taxi until after midnight, he just started running.” 

 

“That doesn’t explain why _you_ came.” For the first time since the duo arrived, Tyler’s eyes turned to Craig, and the man felt his stomach flip at the blue stare. Despite avoiding the man, it was impossible to forget the pretty color irises the taller man possessed. He had always found them attractive, even as kids. Having them focused on him again made a chill go through Craig, and he willed his face not to show his embarrassment as the other man stepped closer to him.

 

“The reason I had to come...was because...look, Delirious has been drinking, and I wasn’t going to bank on him being able to get to your house without getting killed on the way.” 

 

“Weird, he doesn’t seem drunk.” He had seen Jonathan drunk, and the man couldn’t walk to the bathroom without falling over. Tyler’s arms were quick to cross over his chest, his voice getting a familiar tone that Craig was used to hearing. 

 

“Well, he is! Like, _super_ drunk.” 

 

“You...are still a _terrible_ liar,” Craig replied, feeling himself smile when Tyler scowled and glared at the pair now kissing again on the ground.

 

“What are you, my mom? I don’t need to tell-you know what? I didn’t _have_ to come! I was just fine at the party. Next time, I’ll let the idiot be raccoon roadkill.” Then, after an audible growl, Tyler quickly turned away from Craig, grumbling as he started to walk away. “They’re your problem now. I’m going back and getting blackout drunk.” 

 

“T-Tyler!” Craig’s shout of the man’s name held a tinge of panic that he hadn’t meant to reveal, but it was enough to get his friend to stop before barely tilting his head back to look at Craig. “You don’t have to go back. That’s a pretty far walk, and I bet the taxis are going to be backed up still. You could stay.” 

 

“Do you _want_ me to stay?” The question took Craig by surprise, Tyler letting out an aggravated sigh before turning back to face the British man. “I’m not dumb, Craig. I’ve known you long enough to know when you are trying to stay away from someone. You’ve been avoiding me like logic avoids Scotty.” 

 

“Yeah, and I’m sorry about that.” Because he was, even though he knew that his reasoning felt justified in his head. Pulling the jacket closer to his body, Craig tried to give his still scowling friend a smile that showed his apology was honest. “I’ve been an ass. Let me make it up to you this year? I...miss your stupid face and _Mario Kart_ rage.” 

 

“Says the man who contemplates suicide when playing _Golf with Friends_?” 

 

“We said we wouldn’t speak of that demonic game!” Craig’s cry of protest got a smirk from Tyler, and the shorter man tried not to notice the increased heartbeat at the handsome face. 

 

“Depends; did Evan bring _Mortal Kombat_? I haven’t kicked your ass in that lately.” The cocky statement didn’t bother Craig, as he was able to read the underlying meaning beneath it. 

 

“You’ll stay?” 

 

“Obviously. I’m not still standing here for my own health.” Tyler walked past Craig as he spoke, making sure to kick snow on the couple while moving to the door. Craig burst out laughing at the dazed looks on the men still sitting on the ground, wondering how soon they would realize they were soaked. His eyes drifted back to the man now standing on the stairs of his doorstep, Craig feeling a smidge of excitement starting to bubble in his chest. Maybe they weren’t best friends again, but it was a start. 

 

And who knew what would happen in the next year? 

 

**21 Years Old**

 

It was funny how fast one year could feel. Maybe it had to do with the ability to legally drink, or that he was on the cusp of finally finishing the hell he called college. Part of it had to do with preparing Brock’s romantic proposal to Brian, and the drama that came when he had said no (it took two months, a drunken reveal of Brian’s fear of never being good enough for Brock, and a second proposal for the two to finally get engaged). In comparison, Evan and Delirious moving in together didn’t seem like such a big deal, Luke and Tyler both enjoying having their own space. 

 

And though he doubted this listed as a giant accomplishment for anyone else, Tyler wasn’t a stranger to Craig anymore. The two had mended their friendship slowly, but by the summer, it felt like there had never been a rift between them. The inside jokes and time spent together increased significantly, and it was rare that the two went a day without talking to each other. On nights when they went out drinking, Craig didn’t feel awkward crashing at Tyler’s, and the other man never denied him permission to borrow the spare bed in his dorm. Sometimes, if Craig was super whiny, Tyler would even cook him breakfast. The girls who worked at the dorm check-in desk knew Craig by name with how often he stopped by the room, and he was sure that at least two of them thought he was Tyler’s boyfriend.

 

But Craig knew better than to look into that train of thought. Despite the two getting closer again, his friend had never made a move on him. And there had been opportunities; Craig tended to enjoy taking his clothes off when he was drunk, which only seemed to annoy Tyler. When it was too cold to sleep alone, Craig found himself more often than not in Tyler’s bed. Though his friend didn’t kick him out (like he had seen him do to Scotty the one time the man slept over) he never asked about Craig’s intention. They went to movies, dinner, and all sort of other activities together, but it was never called a date. Physical contact wasn’t a problem, either. Tyler didn’t care when Craig leaned against him when playing video games or jumped on his back when he didn’t feel like walking. They seemed to _always_ be touching, and even if Craig felt jolts of lightning from it, that didn’t seem to be the case for Tyler. And it felt sort of...hopeless.

 

Which was why, when going to the New Year’s Eve party that night, Craig already had a resolution in place. 

 

“Never have I ever...been to Ireland!” Delirious gave a maniacal laugh as he glanced at his boyfriend, Evan rolling his eyes as he took a drink from his cup. The apartment that the two of them had bought together was much bigger than Craig’s, and it fit their large group of friends easily. Unlike their previous parties, the group of friends were the only people invited. It was nice to hang out with just them, instead of only knowing half of the people in the room. Craig and Brock took a swig of their own drinks, Brian quick to sip his before he spoke.

 

“You’re already dating him, you idiot, you don’t need to get him drunk to have sex.” 

 

“Hey, s-shush up!” Jonathan’s lame reply had the group laughing, Evan giving a small smile before leaning over to kiss his boyfriend’s cheek. 

 

“At least _I_ wouldn’t be stupid enough to say no if my boyfriend proposed to me.” The sly comeback from the Canadian had Marcel and Luke snorting from the burn, Brian’s cheeks quick to redden as he flipped Evan off. Craig’s eyes glanced over to Tyler, who was elbowing the Irish man in the side while trying to get him to laugh. Brock himself seemed to have a hard time keeping himself from laughing at his fiance’s embarrassment, though the kind man linked their fingers and gave a loving look to Brian that calmed the Irish man down. 

 

“Alright, bitches! My turn.” Luke pretended to stroke his beard in contemplation before he sent a sneaky glance to Ohm, his grin feeling devilish as he spoke. “Never have I ever gotten a bunny tattoo on my-”

 

“Toonzy!” The look of absolute mortification from Ryan made Craig put the pieces together, leaning over to tap Ryan’s butt while he arched an eyebrow. 

 

“Why does Luke know about this? I thought I was the only one who saw it; I’m hurt!”

 

“Can we stop talking about it please?” The begging from Ryan seemed to collect sympathy from Scotty, who took the opportunity to point up to the clock on the apartment wall. 

 

“We should probably get ready for the ball dropping anyways. The countdown starts in one minute!” 

 

“Who starts the countdown at the sixty second mark?” Marcel asked, Craig remembering his resolution before he pushed up to his feet. 

 

“I’ve got to get a new beer; be right back.” He sent a wave Evan’s way before he moved away from the cozy living room, his eyes locating the refrigerator in the kitchen. Tossing the empty bottle on the pile in the sink, Craig pulled open the fridge, his eyes scanning the shelves for his supply. His attention, however, was drawn to the small box of Chinese food sitting in the corner of the door. The crab rangoon sticking out of the top made Craig smile, his mind flickering back to the first time that he had indulged in the particular delicacy on New Years. He was small then, being able to fit a whole container of Chinese food between him and Tyler. If they tried to do that now, they probably would have spilled it all over themselves when they…

 

“Yo.” The voice came from the doorway of the kitchen, Craig not having to lift his head to decipher who it was. 

“You gonna come back or not? The ball’s gonna drop without your British ass.” 

 

“The ball, huh?” Snagging his new bottle of beer, Craig gave the food a final look before he shut the fridge door. Tyler looked just as attractive as ever, leaning his shoulder against the frame while watching the smaller man. The TV was peeking over his shoulder, but Craig’s gaze stayed focused on the man standing in front of him. “Hey, can I ask you a favor?” 

 

“If I said no, would it stop you from asking?” 

 

“Nope.” Craig tried to keep his cheerful persona up as he stepped closer to his friend, holding out the bottle for Tyler to grab. Without words, the other man understood the silent request, popping off the top with the opener on his set of keys. 

 

“Was that it?” Craig shook his head once, making sure to tilt the bottle to Tyler in silent thanks before taking a large drink of the beer.

 

“I just needed to drink some of this when I asked you to kiss me before the ball drops.” To his credit, he nailed the delivery, keeping his casual composure despite the obvious look of surprise on Tyler’s face. 

 

“What the fuck?” 

 

“Not a make-out or anything; just a greeting kiss, like we used to do. It’s my new year’s resolution.” Shrugging to hide the slow unraveling of his nerves, Craig focused his eyes on the label of the bottle his thumb was picking at. “Except instead of it being a greeting kiss, it’s kind of a...goodbye kiss.” 

 

“You’re making even less sense than normal.” 

 

“I wanna explain this better, but we’ve got-” Peeking up at the countdown on the screen, Craig found the information he was looking for. “Maybe 18 seconds at best. So, to put it bluntly, I love you. I’ve loved you for..it’s all sort of mushed together. But it probably started when we kissed on New Year’s Eve. Like, the si-seventh time? Either way, I figured the best way to let go of this feeling would be to kiss _before_ the ball drops. It’s like, metaphorical. I’ll end this year with my feelings for you, and start next year with the plan to lose them.” 

 

“Jesus Christ, Craig.” Tyler’s hand ran over his face as he stared at Craig, the man trying to keep his anxious hands occupied by fiddling with his glasses. The serious blue stare was back on him again, and the British man tried not to show fear or rejection when Tyler spoke. “How long have you been planning on doing this?”

 

“Can’t we talk about this after? We’ve got literally eight seconds-” 

 

“I’m not kissing you.” Tyler’s straightforward answer hurt a little less than Craig had thought it would, but that didn’t mean it was pleasant. He could feel the tears starting to choke him, begging to spring out from his eyes. To his credit, Craig didn’t move away or scream at the man standing in front of him, nor did he crumble. He stood tall, proud of his decision to face his feelings head on and take the rejection like a man. He had promised himself, even if this was the result, that he wouldn’t cut Tyler out of his life again. Because as much as he loved him, they were friends, and their friendship was not simply built on Craig’s desire to be with him. 

 

“Well, can’t blame a guy for trying.” Laughing before patting Tyler’s shoulder, Craig’s eyes drifted back to the group who were shouting as the ball dropped down to the base of the pole. “Happy New Years, Tyler.” 

 

“You’re an idiot.”

 

When Tyler shoved him into the wall next to the doorway, Craig was sure he was going to punch him. So when he was kissed instead, it took the man a moment to realize he wasn’t in pain. The mouth pressed against his wasn’t unsure or shy in it’s command of the kiss like it had been when they were children. It sought out what it wanted from Craig, Tyler parting his lips and deepening their connection. The cheers and cries of their friends in the other room were white noise to the British man, Craig opening his mouth when Tyler’s tongue swiped against it. His head was tilted up by a hand on his chin, and his back struggled not to arch at the feelings running through his body. One of his hands grabbed at the wrist next to his face, but didn’t push away the thumb coaxing his jaw to open his mouth wider. He simply needed something to keep him from collapsing from the intimacy of the kiss he was being given. It was only after Tyler quietly finished the kiss between them that Craig realized his eyes were shut. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed a scowl on the lips that had just perfectly pressed against his. 

 

“What the...hell was that?” Craig breathed out, watching as Tyler huffed and rolled his eyes.

 

“That’s what I was _planning_ to do last year. This year too, before you started going off on your metaphorical shit.” Craig blinked once before shaking his head, his hands shoving Tyler back a few steps while he spoke. 

 

“Hold up; you were gonna kiss me last year?!” He hated that his voice broke at the end of the question, but his mind was freaking out too much to berate himself. Crossing his arms as if _he_ had the right to be upset, Tyler gave a short nod. The motion made a light bulb go off in Craig’s head, quick to put some of the pieces together. “Is that what you were lying about that night? You followed Delirious because you were planning to kiss me?”

 

“First off, I didn’t ‘follow’ Delirious anywhere; the guy’s got the directional skills of a comatose blind man.” Tyler’s lips pressed tighter together after this, and Craig noticed the changing color of his face as he spoke. “The idiot was all mopey on his front porch, saying he was never going to able to confess to Evan. So I just...gave him a pep talk about actually going after what he wanted. Except then I felt like an _ass_ because I hadn’t gone after you; actually, I had tried dating Kelly to _avoid_ the feelings I had for you, but that worked like a boat with holes in the bottom. That’s how I dragged into Delirious’s mess. When I got to your apartment and saw you, I remembered that we weren’t even really friends at the time. So I changed my mind and decided to do it this year. Which is why I came to get you right now, before you tried to go all emo on me. Seriously, what the hell was that shit?” 

 

“I thought you weren’t into me,” Craig reasoned, Tyler showing what he thought of the claim with a roll of his eyes.

 

“Because I break up with amazing girls so I can run through the freezing cold with a maniac, cook breakfast with a hangover, and share my bed with a guy who hogs the sheets _every_ time. Yes, Craig, that’s what I do for guys I’m not into. Real good detective work there.” 

 

“You know, for someone trying to tell me they love me, you’re really bad at it.” Craig’s blunt statement seemed to catch Tyler off guard, and the British man’s grin spread quickly at how red his friend’s face got. Basking in the feeling he was sure he’d have to let go of, Craig stepped closer to Tyler, raising on his toes to get closer to Tyler’s eye level. “Because you do love me, right?”

 

“I di-didn’t even say that.” 

 

“Ah ah ah, you’re lying again.” 

 

“Shut up!” Craig laughed as he bolted out of the room, hearing Tyler hot on his heels. He knew he’d get caught eventually, but that didn’t stop the undeniable happiness from capturing his heart. Tyler loved him, despite his horrible way of showing it. It took years of back and forth between the two, and he was sure there had been heartbreak on both sides. But it didn’t matter now; they finally figured it out. And Craig didn’t have to keep his resolution for that year after all. 

 

“So Luke, wanna tell me your plan to get in my roommate’s pants? Because I’ve thought of a few good ideas...” 

 

But that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought of a ‘resolution B’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a happy end for all =) Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Let me know what you thought of it, and check out my other works. Kudos/Comments always appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the end of part one! The second and final part will be up on New Year's Eve, so I hope that you'll be patient with me! ^.^ Likes and comments are always appreciated and don't hesitate to let me know what you thought of it. Until next time! <3


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